Container



Nov. 11, 1941. R. c. TAYLoR CONTAINER Filed Dec. 3, 193'? Z6 A.alli |llll ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 11, 1941 onirico STATES PATENT Tortoise."

CONTAINER Russell C. Taylor, Greenwich, Conn., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 3, 1937, Serial No. 177,980

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to a 'container for products which are to be removed in one solid piece and has as an object the provision of a tearing strip can with interior collar wherein the latter is so arranged that the can presents a flush and smooth inner surface, so that products having a tendency to jelly or solidify after being filled into the can may be readily removed as an integral whole when the tearing strip is removed.

In the serving of certain canned products, such as almond paste or jellied cranberries or the like, it has been found desirable to remove such products in one solid piece. Where interior collars have been used in cans for such products, diiiculty has been experienced in the past in removing the products without breaking them up or marring their appearance because of the 'inwardly projecting collar.

To overcome this dificulty the present Yin- Vention provides a collar can having an enlarged or necked out body portion adjacent one end of the can which will receive and support the collar so that its inner surface will be substantially flush with the inner surface of the remainder of the can body. This construction permits ready removal of the solidly formed can contents as an integral whole from one end of the can.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a collar can in which the score line or lines defining the tearing strip are sc positioned relative to the location of the collar and the end closure is so constructed that when the tearing strip is removed and the end separated from the container the severed end may be used as a reclosure by engagement of the severed end with the collar either as an outside slip cover or as an inside friction plug.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tearing strip interior collar can embodying the instant invention, parts of the can and the collar being broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the can and the collar as viewed substantially along a plane indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a modified construction showing the end extended inwardly 'to serve as a friction plug reclosure. Y

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the drawing discloses a sheet metal can comprising a tubular body II having a top end I2 and a bottom end I3 secured thereto in any suitable manner as by double seams I4. Inside the body I I adjacent one end, in this instance the top end I2, therevis disposed a narrow comparatively flat and annular collar I6 having bent over or' inwardly turned or hemmedY outer and inner edges I'I, IB of substantially double thickness.

The collar I6 is preferably held in place within the body by a pair of sp'aced' annular beads I9-2'I, forming inner'gr'o'oves into which frictionally fit the collar edges I'I and |18' respectively. The can body II is necked outwardly adjacent and between the beads I9`2I a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the collar I6, forming an enlarged body ring o'rr necked v'out area 272, providing byits 'inner surface a friction seatv for said collar band I6, thus Ibringing the inner surface of the -collarsubstantially flush with the inner surface of the remainder of the body wallll.

The collar edges I'I, I8` may take the form'o'f flattened curls or hems, the particular form being immaterial so long as their inner surfaces are flush with the inner surface of the collar and so long as the outer collar edge l1 presents a smooth friction surface for engagement with the severed end, either as a slip reclosure as provided in Fig. 2 or as a friction plug reclosure as provided in Fig. 3.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that a tearing strip is defined by two parallel score lines 23-24 in the wall of the necked out area 22, and the outer score line 23 is so spaced from the inner score line 24 and from the double seam I4, that after the tearing strip is removed,A

there remains a sufiicient annular marginal portion 25 of the can body wall attached to the severed end to provide for a slip reclosure engagement between said marginal portion and the outer surface of the collar portion I1.

Referring now to the modified construction of Fig. 3, the parallel score lines ZS-Z'I, defining the -tearing strip, are locate-d closer to the double seam I4 and the vertical wall 28 of the countersunk end is extended inwardly so that it has frictional engagement with the inner surface of the collar portion i 1, and after removal of the tearing strip the severed end functions as a friction plug reclosure.

Opening of the can is effected by removal of the tearing strip defined by the score lines 23-24, or by the score lines 26-21, by engaging the tongue 29, which projects from the can side seam 30, in the slot of the key 3|, which is temporarily secured to the can top l2, and winding up the strip on the key in the usual manner.

When the end is thus severed from the body the jelled or solid product packed in the can may be readily removed in one integral Whole by merely inverting the opened can and permitting the product to slide out. In case the nature of the product should cause it to stick to the inner surface of the can body, it is merely necessary to roll the opened can over a flat surface to loosen this adherence and the product will then readily slip out of the can. v

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that Various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope', of the 2. A tearing strip interior collar can comprising a can body having an enlarged annular area adjacent one end and having spaced parallel score lines defining a tearing strip within said area, can ends secured to the ends of said body, and an interior collar band positioned within said enlarged annular area and engaging the can body wall, said collar being offset outwardly at its outer and inner ends and turned inwardly upon itself to provide hemmed edges of substantially double thickness, said annular area being necked outwardly a distance equal to the thickness of said collar so that the interior collar surface is in alignment and iiush with the inner surface of the remaining portion of said can body wall, 'said score lines being located in said enlarged area of said body wall within the outer invention or sacricing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Iclaim:

1. A tearing strip interior collar can comprising a can body having an enlarged annular area adjacent one end and having spaced parallel score lines defining a tearing strip within said area, can ends secured respectively to the opposite ends of said body, and an interior collar band positioned within said enlarged annular area and engaging the can body wall, said collar being offset outwardly at its outer and inner ends and turned inwardly upon itself to provide hemmed edges of substantially double thickness, said annular area being necked outwardly a distance equal to the thickness of said collar so that the interior surface of said collar is in alignment and flush with the inner surface of the remainder of said can body wall, whereby when said strip is removed the remaining severed end of the can body and its attached can end are adapted to be brought into frictional engagement with'said collar to function as a reclosure. I

margin of said collar, whereby when said tearing strip is removed the severed can body and its attached can end may be lslipped over the exposed portion of said collar as a reclosure.

3. A tearing strip interior collar can comprising a can body having an enlarged annular area adjacent one end and having spaced parallel score lines defining a tearing strip, an interior collar band positioned within said enlarged annular area and engaging the can body wall, said annular area being necked outwardly a distance equal to the thickness of said collar band so that the interior surface of said band is in alignment and flush with the inner surface of the remainder of said can body wall, can ends double seamed respectively to the opposite ends of said can body to close the latter, one of said ends-having a countersunk portion extending inwardly toprovide a friction plug in frictional engagement with the interior of said collar, the score line nearest to the adjacent end of said body beingpositioned in the body wall without the outer margin of said collar band, whereby when said strip is removed said friction plug is adapted to be brought .into frictional engagement with the inner surface of said collar to function as a reclosure.

RUSSELL c. TAYLOR. 

